About KITCHEN 1540

Modern and comfortable, KITCHEN 1540 blends energy and intrigue with an innovative, seasonally-driven menu. To further the experience, the restaurant offers an extensive wine list, full bar and specialty cocktails. The spacious outdoor patio allows guests to enjoy the ocean breezes and features private cabanas for intimate dining. The setting is punctuated with a waterfall and hanging lanterns to set just the right mood. Whether you are sharing small plates and drinks amongst friends or enjoying a romantic dinner under the stars, KITCHEN 1540 is where the perfect day becomes the perfect beach night.

Catering:Breathtaking, Coastal, Elegant. To accommodate meetings and social events, the resort offers over 16,000 square feet of distinctive indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, ideal for corporate retreats, banquets and other special occasions. Breathtaking sunsets over an ocean vista play backdrop to gatherings on the Pacific Terrace. And for those with more than business, relaxation and dining in mind, there's even a dedicated 'romance team' to orchestrate the perfect wedding, rehersal dinner, honeymoon or romantic getaway for couples.

Parking Details:Complimentary valet parking when dining at our restaurants. Street parking and public spaces are also available.

Public Transit:The hotel will shuttle from nearby Solana Beach Train Station

Executive Chef:Nathan Lingle

Private Party Facilities:KITCHEN 1540's private, wine encased dining room is available for parties of up to 10 guests. A private outdoor, lantern-lit cabana seats up to 12.

Special Events & Promotions:L’Auberge Del Mar creates a divine ocean backdrop that is at once tranquil and inspiring. Blue skies and pleasant shores reflect the exceptional setting of our romantic resort, where our undivided attention is centered around you.Be seduced by surf, sand and sunsets.

Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs which may contain harmful bacteria may increase your risk of foodborne illness or death, especially if you have certain medical conditions. Please note a mandatory 3% surcharge will be added to your check to help offset costs associated with recent minimum wage increases. No portion of the surcharge will be distributed as a gratuity to your service or our other associates. The entire surcharge amount is retained by the resort, thank you.

The menu offers a variety of options for most dietary requirements and the portions are all tapas/small plates. There was a high salt content in the dishes served. The pasta is very al dente to the point of being crunchy. The tagliatelle was a fusion of two different pastas, it was not possible to determine what the darker pasta on one side was, it was very dark green or black. The quinoa toast was inedible. While the hotel staff referred to the venue as fine dining, service was not as attentive as we would have expected given that there were only three tables in the restaurant at the early hour we were there, and we had to ask for bread while other tables were served without asking and ours was delivered without butter or oil. Dessert was a puzzling combination of a cookie with key lime gelato. The menu was attempting to be creative and said that it was farm to table, so with some work this could be a great concept, but it's not achieving that goal at present and certainly not what one would expect at the adjacent hotel.

The service was excellent. Their private patio is lovely with plants, romantic lighting, and heaters that keep it comfortable. The flavors and textures are very well executed but not overly creative. These are small plates and as such are on the expensive side.

Tags: Local Ingredients, Good for Birthdays, Romantic, Great for Outdoor Dining

Food is very good but dinner is going to be pricey. Wine list is very pricey. Service is excellent. Nice ambiance for a quiet dinner. Outside seating is very nice. Parking of course is at a premium. Suggest valet. Overall I liked the experience very much.

Tags: Tasting Menu, Romantic, Quiet Conversation, Good for a Date, Live Music

We were pleasantly surprised by the varied menu. It was based on local fresh from the farm produce available that day, and other sustainable proteins. We shared several of the dishes we ordered similar to family style and came away full. It was our anniversary and the staff kindly acknowledged our time with a wonderful dessert. We would certainly go there again. The live musician playing was wonderful (he sounded like John Mayer) and my wife was thrilled.

Kitchen 1540 was a culinary treat. My husband and I celebrated our wedding anniversary there. We were treated to a glass of champagne. We selected the Chef's Tasting Menu. We were not disappointed. Everything was very creative. We especially enjoyed a miniature savory funnel cake with avocado appetizer. The Chef was delightful and informative regarding the menu. The service was superlative.BarbT.

The kale salad and burrata tomato salad were amazing. However, the entrees we chose were underwhelming. The strip steak with polenta and mushrooms was bland. I'm normally a big fan of polenta and mushrooms are my favorite vegetable. Not the case here. The salmon dish also could have had more flavor. Wines by the glass list was decent. We ate at the restaurant Sunday night. Only a few tables of guests. 1 waiter. He seemed busy.

The salmon with wild rice was very good! The appetizers were good and the desserts were excellent.

The three other dishes were less than inspiring and just fair.

Service was very good, although the restaurant was not busy at the time. Food was somewhat slow in arriving.

Tags: Great for Lunch, Business Meals, Quiet Conversation, Pre/post Theatre, Good for Birthdays, Afternoon Coffee, Romantic, Happy Hour, Scenic View, Good for a Date, Great for Outdoor Dining, Cozy, Special Occasion

The food was excellent. The burrata was so incredibly fresh it melted in my mouth and the tomatoes danced with flavor. Same goes for the lamb loin. It has excellent flavor and accompaniments that paired perfectly. My husband had the steak which also was amazing. My only qualm is the pricing. I am not sure if I would go back for an every day type of meal but for a special occasion, most definitely.

We went here for Mothers Day brunch. This is the second time we've attended the brunch. The view is a spectacular if you're lucky enough to be seated with a water view. I was very disappointed the way we were initially treated. On Mothers Day this restaurant has seating schedules. We reserved the 10am slot and arrived at 9:50. There was a hostess table with about five employees standing behind it waiting to escort guests to their table. We were clearly the first to arrive as all the tables on the back patio (with the view) were completely empty. Even though we requested the water view they tried to place us in the back patio (along the street). When I informed the hostess there must be a mistake because we requested the water view she proceeded to inform me that all other guests would have to be seated before us and then they could see if we could be reseated. Our party stood there stunned as nobody understood this logic. As we were walking back to the front lobby I approached the hostess again and was told the same astonishing thing. At this point there was a long line of guests behind the hostess desk waiting to be seated. We all watched in bewilderment as many guests were escorted to the tables we had requested to be seated. After watching several guests be escorted I approached her again, reminded her we were here before all these other guests, and also reminded her it was Mothers Day and that we were all standing in the lobby. Apparently the problem started because that morning we had increased our guest size from 5 to 6 and not one of the five staff could come up without the simple solution of placing two additional chairs at a table that was originally set for four. Seriously were they kidding me?! Anyway, with my persistence we were seated.

Another shock came with the bill, which for 5 adults and one child came to $660. They included a 20% tip and an additional $15 service charge. This is excessive given the buffet style.

The meal itself was delicious and fantastic. The steak and the lamb were top notch. The service on the other hand was extremely subpar. I think the servers would have to run around to different areas of the hotel (they had an outdoor kitchen area and a bar). Because our server would be gone for 15-20 mins and then reappear for a minute and the disappear again for 15-20. Very annoying when we were waiting to order and then it took him a good 20-30 mins to bring out our entrées after our appetizers. Even though I could see our food was ready on the counter by the kitchen. We were also the only ones eating inside the restaurant besides one other table. Very disappointed with the service. The hotel should designate certain servers to certain areas and keep them there. I'm not sure if I'd return and spend that amount of money again to be agitated while eating amazing food.

Tags: Great for Lunch, People Watching, Fit for Foodies, Special Occasion, Good for Birthdays, Worth the Drive, Scenic View, Good Vegetarian Options, Romantic, Live Music, Good for a Date, Good for Anniversaries

We had another great dinner at Kitchen 1540. The steak came out a bit below expectation but the staff was very kind in accommodating us and attentive throughout the whole dinner. Everything else we ate was DELICIOUS and I know we'll be back!

Tags: Good for Anniversaries, Good for a Date, Notable Wine List, Romantic, Special Occasion

Was called day before and asked if still wanted to sit outside. Said yes and it was good with restaurant. Got there next evening and told no outside. All sold out with no apologies or anything for the issue. Only went to this restaurant for outside dining. Did not have s good time.

For years we have wanted to try Kitchen 1540 and decided to go for our 10th wedding anniversary. We went on a Sunday evening and the restaurant was quiet - we were the only two inside the restaurant. The food was good but we felt it was pricey and not worth the money we spent. We would not go back again.

Kitchen 1540 is fantastic. As a San Diego native, I feel it's one of the best restaurants in San Diego. Outstanding service, food, and wine. The menu is constantly changing and everything is always fantastic. I've never been disappointed. Probably my favorite restaurant in SD.

Tags: Good for Birthdays, Worth the Drive, Special Occasion, Quiet Conversation, Fit for Foodies, Good for a Date, Seasonal, Good for Anniversaries, Notable Wine List

Let me just start with some good news about our dining experience at Kitchen 1540 for Christmas dinner, 2016. Our server, Victoria was delightful, energetic, attentive, and personable.

The rest of our dining experience was very disappointing.

The food was mediocre at best, which for the price, is shameful. For starters, my son and daughter ordered the King Crab, and I, unfortunately, ordered the Treviso Radicchio Salad. While the King Crab was passable, the Treviso Radicchio Salad was basically just radicchio: I could barely find any “seckle pear and smokey blue cheese.” We usually share starters, but no one really wanted any of the radicchio salad.

This bare minimalistic approach was also experienced with a petite serving of the Pork NY Strip (with very little curried squash conserve), and the Grilled Sword lying on top of a very thin layer of whipped masa and eggplant escabeche. The only entrée that was passable the Waygu Short Rib, but it was served with a stale Yorkshire Pudding. The three desserts fell short as the Pear and Pistachio Tart and the egg nog cheesecake tasted like it came right out of a box, and the chocolate peppermint bar was something any 1950’s housewife could have whipped up. We found ourselves yearning for more delicious desserts that we have purchased at Costco.

Last, but not least, the Christmas Dinner price was first advertised on Kitchen 1540’s website for $65.00 per adult with a much more bountiful menu, then advertised on the Open Table website for $75.00, and then priced at $89.00 per adult once at the last minute. First, I don’t understand how Kitchen 1540 can really justify this type of slippery slope advertising? Secondly, I don’t know how the management at Kitchen 1540 can defend their pitiful product at such exorbitant price?

Finally, I just have to reiterate that our dining experience at Kitchen 1540 was one of the worst experiences we have ever had.

Went got Thanksgiving dinner. As it was a chilly night we chose indoor seating but servers often opened the door letting in cold air. The drinks to start were good. Four choices for each of three courses with optional wine pairing. Skipped the wines. Squash soup and smoked salmon appetizers were quite good. Both of us chose turkey and trimmings for main. White meat was excellent but dark meat was an obvious amalgam and overly salty. Mashed potatoes and green beans were very good but cranberry compote was too herbal. Desserts were weak with a cold apple cake Tatin and a just plain bad chocolate and fig concoction. Overall a nice ambience but food only ok

Decided on this restaurant based on reviews and pictures for my bf's birthday. It was incredibly quiet on a Saturday evening and it was an unexpected surprise to get to sit in a cabana for our meal. The food was beautifully presented, our server, Sal, was extremely attentive while allowing us our privacy, and the warm lighting created such a lovely dining experience. I would highly recommend Kitchen 1540 for a quiet night out.

Tags: Special Occasion, Great for Outdoor Dining, Romantic, Good for Anniversaries, Quiet Conversation, Good for a Date, Fit for Foodies

I chose this site based on the menu on the internet. Did not realize it was Restaurant Week and was sorry to see that the menu was limited. Boy, was I wrong. The food was wonderful, very fresh and inspired. I enjoyed each course. The wine pairings were spot on. I will be back soon.

Tags: Authentic, Fit for Foodies, Worth the Drive, Tasting Menu, Good for a Date

The kitchen 1540 was a great dining experience. They offered wine paring with our meal for a reasonable price and the wine was amazing!! The staff was very accommodating and polite. We would recommend the kitchen to friends and family. We look forward to dining there again real soon.

This was an extremely disappointing dining experience. The food left little to be desired, the grouper was overcooked, the prawns were burnt, the burratta tasted old, tomatoes were over salted and the dessert was dry and underwhelming.

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